High School Essay

Sonja Shepherd
Professor Brych
English 93
9 March 2010
Let Teenagers Be Teenagers
Do you think high school was a waste of time? In Let Teen-Agers Try Adulthood, author Leon Botstein argues high school in America is not effective and shouldn’t exist. Botstein claims young adults don’t take high school seriously, teens mature faster than previous years, and sports in high school take over. Lastly, Botstein voices his opinion on how the education system should be altered.   Through my own personal high school experience and from my interviewees’ experiences, we all agree that Botstein is wrong. Teen education in American high schools is effective because it prepares young adults for their futures and it is important for the social development of an individual.
Botstein says high school is not effective towards one’s education because of the poor training and selection of teachers. “…It is no wonder that the curriculum and the enterprise of learning hold so little sway over young people” (5). In my high school they hired teachers who were educated in the subject that they taught and they seemed to enjoy teaching it.   For example, my math teacher of my junior year was very helpful. I did poorly on a test, so I asked him to help me correct what I did wrong. Without hesitation he advised me to meet him after school to go over my mistakes. Because I asked for help and because I got a one-on-one session with the teacher, that helped me improve my next test score.   A teacher who is knowledgeable, who helps and answers questions is one of the keys to a student’s success.
According to Botstein another reason why high schools don’t work is because young adults mature at an earlier rate. “An institution intended for young children in transition now holds young adults back well beyond the developmental point for which high school was originally designed” (6). Botstein is wrong, high school is very important for the development of an individual. Sure young adults...